Heavy smoke was pouring out of an apartment building after a fire in downtown Cambridge, Illinois Saturday, June 6, 2015.
The fire was reported at about 1 p.m. in the 200 block of N. Prospect Street. The building used to be a hardware store, called the 'Gambles Building.' Over the years, it had been different things.
"Back when I was in high school, it was a thrift shop and an antique mall that I used to go to a lot," Cambridge resident David Powell said.
Smoke from the fire was visible along Interstate 74 outside of Cambridge.
The Cambridge Fire Department spokesperson said there was one man rescued from inside the building. The man owned a photography business on the first floor and was transported to a local hospital.
Initial reports indicated the fire was in the building next to Bell Agency, Inc. Residents say it's tough to see a downtown building be torn apart by a fire because their downtown continues to get smaller.
"It's terrible," Powell said. "We're a small community here, and our downtown is disappearing. We're losing buildings left and right here, and to see another one go is just tragic."
Firefighters from Cambridge, Geneseo, Atkinson and Osco fire departments were sent to fight the blaze. Firefighters worked on the building for more than five hours Saturday. Powell hopes that the owner rebuilds on the property, but that has not been determined. The man who was taken to the hospital was taken as a precaution. Fire crews are not saying what caused the fire.
